1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to computers, and more particularly to a system and method for autonomously diagnosing, addressing, and repairing severe and/or high frequency failures in storage components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Data storage systems, disk or tape, are utilized to process and store data. A storage system may include various storage components, such as one or more disk drives configured in a storage environment. For example, the storage environment may include a number of disk drives implemented in an array, such as a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) topology, to provide data security in the event of a hardware or software failure. The storage environment may also include other storage components, such as controllers and interfaces to mange the flow of data.
Generally, if an error occurs somewhere in the storage environment, an entry is recorded in a particular type of historical record or log. The end user responsible for the storage unit may review the logs at some time after the error event has occurred. In some cases, a significant amount of time may pass between the error event and the time that the end user reviews the error record. The end user may then determine what action to take to address the error. The user may ignore the error, repair the error herself, call for service from a responsible vendor, or request an additional vendor address the error. For many storage environment errors, the resulting repair action is an upgrade in microcode associated with the particular storage component.